American Society of Plastic Surgeons Makes History in Las Vegas With AESTHETICA

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) will host the first-ever AESTHETICA Symposium that will cover aesthetic surgical and non-surgical procedures. Evidenced by the findings of the recently released ASPS annual plastic surgery procedural statistics, aesthetic surgery continues to gain popularity. In 2014, 15.6 million cosmetic procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States, representing a 3 percent increase since 2013.

"The aesthetic surgery practice is ever evolving, just as technology progresses and our culture shifts," said ASPS member and AESTHETICA Co-chair, Alan Matarasso, MD. "As plastic surgeons, it is our responsibility to stay abreast of innovations and advancements to truly understand the technology so that we may continue to provide quality care for our patients."

Since 1931, ASPS has provided generations of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgeons with the education they need to grow all aspects of their surgical practice with unwavering commitment to patient safety. As new technology and procedural enhancements emerge, providing members the opportunity to learn from the industry experts is paramount for providing elite patient care.

The uniquely designed AESTHETICA program, created in conjunction with plastic surgeons from a variety of surgical expertise, will provide attendees with the latest innovations and information to fulfill what patients are now seeking.

Minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures increased 4 percent, with more than 13.9 million procedures in 2014. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

1. Botulinum Toxin Type A (6.7 million procedures up 6 percent from 2013 to 2014)
2. Soft tissue fillers (2.3 million procedures up 3 percent from 2013 to 2014)
3. Chemical peel (1.2 million procedures up 7 percent from 2013 to 2014)
4. Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures up 3 percent from 2013 to 2014)
5. Microdermabrasion (881,905 procedures down 9 percent from 2013 to 2014)

Cosmetic surgical procedures rose 1 percent, to nearly 1.7 million procedures in 2014. The top five surgical procedures were:

1. Breast augmentation (286,254 procedures, down 1 percent)
2. Nose reshaping (217,124 procedures, down 2 percent)
3. Liposuction (210,552 procedures, up 5 percent)
4. Eyelid surgery (206,509 procedures, down 4 percent)
5. Facelift (128,266 procedures, down 4 percent)

Additionally, buttock implants and lifts are among the fastest growing procedures over the past year. The top surgical procedures performed on patients' buttocks were:

• Buttock augmentation with fat grafting (11,505 procedures, up 15 percent from 2013 to 2014)
• Buttock implants (1,863 procedures up 98 percent from 2013 to 2014)
• Buttock lift (3,505 procedures up 44 percent from 2013 to 2014)

As the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world, ASPS is dedicated to advancing quality care for plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. The AESTHETICA Symposium is part of the continuing educational opportunities designed to provide ASPS plastic surgeons with the latest information and techniques to ensure quality patient care.